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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. face — to confront
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ground — a position
  8. face — to point toward
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. club — a group
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. club — for golf
  14. ground — crushed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. face — part of the head
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. vault — a safe
  22. club — for dancing
  23. ground — the earth
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com